Bell CEO to appear before federal committee over thousands of job cuts

BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic speaks during a CRTC hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

The head of Bell Canada will testify before members of Parliament next month over the company's decision to cut thousands of jobs across Canada.

CEO Mirko Bibic is scheduled to appear at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on April 11.

The Canadian Press previously reported that Bibic was summoned to the committee after being unable to attend earlier meetings. However, Bell said the March 19 meeting was actually postponed by the committee.

"The Clerk of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage invited Bell to appear March 19, which we readily accepted and confirmed. This was the only confirmed meeting until now," said a statement from Bell. "The committee then requested that we postpone the March 19 appearance. We accepted the invitation to appear on April 11 and we look forward to speaking with committee members about the challenges and opportunities facing our industry."

In February, Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. announced it was cutting 4,800 positions from its workforce, ending several television newscasts, and selling 45 of its 103 radio stations.

Bell blamed the cuts in part on the federal government and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, claiming Ottawa has been too slow to assist media companies. In the same Feb. announcement, Bell also stated that it was raising quarterly dividend payouts to shareholders from 96.75 cents to 99.75 cents per common share.

With files from The Canadian Press

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